


Boto Cor de Rosa

by anticholinesterase



Series: Vignettes from Another World [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Creature from the Deep!Hannibal, Implied Mpreg, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, alternative universe, lonely will graham
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:33:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27269527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anticholinesterase/pseuds/anticholinesterase
Summary: Short fic for #SpookySlick 2020!!30 Oct:Mpreg/Oviposition/ Creature from the DeepIn Brazilian folklore we have the tale of the “Boto Cor de Rosa” which roughly translates to “pink dolphin” (?) that lives in the Amazonian rivers. They actually exist and are really cute and there are tales of how they are very friendly, help out the fishermen, etc. BUT, there are darker tales about it, ok, and here’s where it gets interesting. Because the tales say that in the night of the full moon when the sky is filled with bright stars, the Boto comes out of the water and takes a human form. They will borrow some clothes from people that live by the river, usually a suit and a hat and go to the local parties after beautiful women. And then they will take the chosen one to a boat back in the water and put a baby in them. The women will wake up alone in the boat and find out they are with child. And they will never see the Boto again.
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Series: Vignettes from Another World [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2059725
Comments: 32
Kudos: 100
Collections: #SpookySlick





	Boto Cor de Rosa

**Author's Note:**

> In my country we don't have Halloween, but we sure have some interesting folklore. So really, the Boto, in my mind, is a sex demon. A fancy, well dressed, mysterious sex demon. My brain screamed Hannibal with a twist for some reason and would not leave me alone ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Happy Halloween everyone! 🐬🧜
> 
> (photos of the banner courtesy of the lovely @dHannibalbaby)

* * *

1.

Will stood by the banks of the river, jeans with their hem rolled up and cotton shirt drenched in sweat as he pulled on the rope to tie his boat to the deck near his home. He pulled up the hem of his shirt to swipe away the sweat that had gathered on his forehead from exertion of a day spent fishing in the river. He looked out to the other side of the water bank where some capybaras lounged together, seemingly transfixed by something that lurked in its hidden depths, their beady eyes never wavering from the gentle ripples of the water. It was a peculiar behavior that Will never tired of, throughout his years living by the riverside, the way the fauna and the rivers communed as one, drawing from each other, communicating in a language unknown to men.

Will looked around to the other houses that adorned the riverside. Lights on inside, families reunited together for dinner. Most fishermen had returned some hours ago, the tide made by the full moon not particularly prone to any more successful fishing. But Will had always liked the moon and how it affected the water, the ever-changing pattern of the tides. How it waxed and waned but moved inexorably just the same, the ending goal unimportant. The reflection of the full moon on the water made the river sparkle into life as if it had just been waiting to be invited to dance and flirt with the world around it.

The riverside was beautiful and magical at this time of night.

Will felt like he was being beckoned by its lush depth, by the siren call of the aquatic underworld. It wasn’t the first time he had felt so, but something about this call was more persuasive, hit him deeper. Made him listen. Will stripped out from his sweaty clothes and entered the cool water, skin raising with goosebumps from the difference in temperature, feeling refreshed and relaxed for the first time in the day. He waded into the gentle water, small movements only to keep afloat in the river, ears attuned to the nature surrounding him. The capybaras were gone now, though he hadn’t noticed them moving away. Maybe they had swam away down, down the stream never to be seen again. Some creatures in the river only wished to be seen once. It was the way of mysterious beings.

Will floated on his back, curls moving gently this way or the other with the soft movement of the water. He thought about his empty house, no one waiting for him. Will thought what would happen if he swam down the stream to go away and never return, never to be seen. If anyone would even notice it. Will didn’t mind the life of a fisherman. He liked the manual labor of fishing. He liked the steadiness of it, the mindlessness of it. He just. Well. Sometimes he just didn’t care for the loneliness of it, that’s all.

He shook off the beads of water that accumulated on his forehead and straightened up to swim back to the bank, leaving the fantasy world of the water under the moonlight behind him.

What Will didn’t know was that he was not alone, because if the call of the river made him dip into it, then the call of his loneliness also brought something to the surface in response.

And what Will didn’t know, slow steps as he waded through the mud and water, naked body beckoning and shiny under the moonlight was that while he wasn’t aware, something took notice of him.

What Will didn’t see, reaching down to grab his clothes back again and making his way back home were the dark, shimmering eyes just over the water’s surface tracking his form all the way down to his front door where it clicked shut and hid him away from the creatures of the night once again.

2.

Will was at his kitchen table, skillfully slicing the fish on top of his cutting board into thin fillets for later. The nice couple next door had invited him for their weekly dinner once again and Will couldn’t find a reason to deny them, though he rarely did. They were the only villagers whose company Will actually appreciated, uncomplicated and not wanting anything else from Will besides a nice dinner and some drinks before parting ways once again, no strings attached. Everyone else in the village was...complicated.

Will was known in the village as a loner. Fishing by himself, coming back to mainland to an empty house. It didn’t bother him, as much as the whispers and side eyes did. And these just seemed to be getting more frequent and invasive with the passing of time.

Some girls still tried to get his attention when he ventured into their little village in order to sell in the market. And they would bat their eyelashes, look him up and down hungrily, try to make him stay a little longer. Their flirtation and curiosity grated on him, but he had to grin and bear it in order to keep selling his product and make his living. It just became a part of his job.

Some men did the same.

Will knew they didn’t care for him, so he didn’t care for them either. He would lure them in with his pretty curls and dimpled smile, exert some charm over them, innocent and guilelessly until they couldn’t help but buy the merchandise he had to offer. Will was, after all, a fisherman. He would charm them away from their cash, come up with some excuse, flutter _his_ own eyelashes and leave them hanging. A little bit of charm in exchange for a little bit of cash. Every other day when he fished enough to sell the spare in the open market. Rinse and repeat.

As long as they continued buying his fish, Will could spare some unwanted advances. They didn’t really want Will, he'd always known that. It was just the way of little villages, where everyone messed with the odd ones out because they lacked something better to entertain themselves with. Will had been fine with this arrangement and the villagers seemed to settle for the mystery aura Will could provide the community with.

_Quid pro quo._

Fish. Sell. Engage. Disengage. And finally, he would come back at the end of the day to his dogs, his empty house. His steady piece of land in the ever-moving waters. And on these times when the night was too long and the cicadas would sing too loudly, his loneliness would make itself known. So he indulged Mrs. Solange and Mr. Rodrigo on their weekly dinners, let them dote on him. They were in their fifties, no children at home anymore, so they had transferred their paternal instincts onto him. They didn’t ask much of him, for which he was grateful. There was not much he had to give away.

He was startled by a rustling of cloth coming from his backyard. The handle of the knife slipped, and he cut his thumb, blood oozing from the shallow but long cut. He put it inside his mouth, sucking on it to make the bleeding stop and went to the window to see what had disturbed his silence.

There was a man in his backyard, a man Will had never seen before. Older, probably in his forties by the grey sheen of his lustrous hair. He was meddling with Will's clothesline, going through his clothes like they were public affairs, having already donned a pair of Will's grey pants, the fancy ones Will used sparingly to go to the church parties or to town when he needed to buy supplies for his boat.

Apart from those, the man was shirtless, his bare torso well defined and smooth, a healthy tan shining through in the light of the full moon. The man was handsome in a way Will had never thought a man could be, never even entertained the idea of a beautiful man before. The man settled for a white cotton shirt, one that was baggy on Will but fitted perfectly on this stranger's nicely built chest, sitting nicely on those shoulders that were broader than his.

The man lifted his head up in the direction of the kitchen’s window, as if he sensed he was being watched. Will deflected quickly and hid himself from view, shielding himself behind the wall, breathless. A second passed before Will, ears attuned to his surroundings, could hear steps heading away, in the direction of the village. The stranger had stolen Will's best shoes as well.

The next day, when Will woke up, his clothes and shoes had returned to his possession, nicely folded on the doorstep of his house, like a gift. As if a bond had been firmed between them that Will had no recollection of agreeing to.

The clothes smelled of sandalwood and Will breathed them in deeply as he closed his eyes, trying to retain the feeling of connection, like the aftertaste of the scent could carry with it the idea of a bond Will craved.

3.

The next full moon Will was ready.

He sat on the banks of the river, making his flies under the bright, bright light of the full moon and waited patiently for the creature the water would bring him.

It didn’t take long for him to notice movement in the periphery of his vision and listen to a slosh in the water, announcing that something unlike anything the river had ever brought to the surface was once again brought to life and was coming towards him.

Will set down his supplies unhurriedly on the deck near his feet as he gathered up the courage to lift his eyes and face the creature before him.

The man only stood there, face tilted curiously to the side as if studying him. As if Will was an odd puzzle he wanted to figure out. Will felt the same way about him. The man was starkly naked and absolutely comfortable with the fact like it never even crossed his mind to be otherwise. Will very stubbornly kept his eyes leveled with the stranger's, cheeks flushing a dark pink in his struggle to do just that.

They engaged on a silent contest, somewhat of a stalemate. The creature seemed perfectly happy to just gaze at Will softly, unhurriedly. Will was the first one to break.

"I bought you some clothes this time. Fancier ones that I think would suit you better. Besides, you are bigger than me, you stretched mine all out of shape the last time."

Not that Will minded, really. He had been wearing those clothes just the same, stretched or not. And every time he put them on, he felt as if the stranger's presence lingered on them. As if their skins could touch through the fabric. They soon became his favorite clothes to wear.

Not that Will was willing to own up to that.

The stranger didn’t say anything in response, just ran his eyes all over him, cataloguing his features, his mannerisms. Will, feeling too observed, casted his own eyes down, tried to compose himself under the scrutiny of this beautiful, strange, silent man in front of him.

"There's a hat too, I sometimes see the people in the city using those, I had a feeling you would like it as well" Will blushed a little bit more feeling stupid and awkward in the older man's silent presence. Not knowing whether he was being judged or simply examined "Anyway, they are in the backyard by the clothesline, juat the way you like. Feel free to use them as you please. It's not right for a guy like you to be walking around stripped bare like that."

The man had a glimmer to his dark eyes that seemed to emulate the reflection of the full moon on the waters of the river. He made a gesture with his head, a fraction of a nod as he acquiesced to Will's demands, words still failing him altogether. Will found it endearing, having always been annoyed by the constant chatter of the people from the village.

"Go on now. I'll stay right here and finish my lures, I think."

The man spared him one last long gaze before resuming his walk towards Will's house, towards the clothes Will had bought just for him. Will hoped he found the white suit and pants suitable enough, as well as the white shirt that Will had separated just for him. A strange attire for a strange man. Will wished he could see what he looked like adorning such outfit. But he just shook himself, feeling silly, and returned to his fishing flies once again.

When Will woke up, there was a current around the room that sparkled with electricity like the air that always got excited just before a thunderstorm. It sizzled and cracked, though Will couldn’t place the origin of any storms nearby. When he looked around his room, he saw the clothes he had lent the stranger right there in his room, spread over his armchair, the hat resting demurely on top of the heap. His window laid spread open, wind chiming in and ruffling his belongings around. Will didn’t know how this could be, but he could feel the phantom touch of long fingers on his forehead, playing with the soft curls of his hair. He took the shirt from his armchair, pressed to his face inhaling deeply and with that scent enveloping him like a hug, Will went back to sleep.

4.

There were rumors. Rumors between the villagers that Will had been gathering like newspaper clippings for the past month that made him livid. Rumors that spurned him to action. Beverly had been the one to confront him with it. In a village so small every bit of information had to be passed further on like a prayer and Beverly never minded Will’s rude standoffish disposition. She wouldn’t be deterred by that with fresh gossip on the tip of her tongue.

“A dashing stranger, comes to our dances and he’s the center of attention, doesn’t even have to say anything” she said twirling a strand of her long dark hair om her finger, looking absent mindedly through the fish Will had brought in to sell “Just picks and chooses a girl at fancy, swirls her around and she’s his for the night” Will huffed an annoyed breath which only seemed to put a spark in her eye and inflame her storytelling. She leaned in with a smirk and whispered to his ear “They say Freddie didn’t come home until morning.”

And that struck a nerve Will didn’t even know he had in him, a surge of possessiveness burning up inside his chest. He wrapped up his belongings and left Beverly and the other village folks behind in in a hurry to get away, his surplus fish be damned.

Before the sunset Will hung the creature’s clothes in his clothesline, suit and shirt freshly pressed, shoes and hat just nearby. Will himself had put on his own best attire, soft grey pants and a black shirt that his daddy had given to him a long time ago, but still fitted him well enough. He shaved the little of the beard he could grow, tried to tame his curls to no avail and got annoyed with himself halfway through his grooming process. He wasn’t planning on doing anything, he was just curious. He wanted to see how his creature behaved around the other villagers. Will wanted to see what this creature 

The last time Will had been to one of these dances, it was five years ago. He was seventeen. His daddy had just died, and Will didn’t feel like staying home alone, not with the ghost of his father all around. Doing the dishes, fixing the motor of the boat, brewing fresh coffee for them both to drink while they gazed at the river.

Will had looked down at the tie in his hands, the one his dad had been trying to teach him how to make “The best one there is to catch pirarucu, son, and don’t let any fisherman tell you otherwise”, he would say, his voice tinted with pride and Will’s eyes had filled with tears and he just had to leave. He hadn’t stopped until he reached the sound of music and laughter, the silhouette of bodies moving together, dancing in sync beneath the moonlight. Will had watched them from afar, craving their connection but too awkward and self-conscious to actually do anything about it. This pretty girl who grew up with him, Margot, had noticed him looking and stared back at him with her big, soulful eyes. They used to play together when they were kids, those days all kids played together, no matter their age. But Will as a kid had been shy and weird, and as a teenager, had become resentful and weird. He hadn’t kept touch with any of those kids anymore. Margot had turned to her big brother, a nasty thing that had always kept Will on his toes. The brother, Mason, had looked straight at Will with disgust, signaling to his henchmen in his direction and Will fled the scene once again. Scared and lonely and feeling like he didn’t belong anywhere.

But that had been five years ago.

The Will that approached the dance floor now had grown out of his awkwardness and need to fit in. He didn’t care about the opinion of the villagers that much anymore. But something had made him care recently and that was no small feat. Will was drawn closer and closer to the stranger that had invaded his home and his closet and eventually his mind and started residing there ever since. One specific person that was wearing his clothes and drawing everyone’s attention to the center of the dancefloor, body entwining itself with some girl’s as they swayed from side to side.

Will’s body moved before his mind could catch up to it, dodging the villagers on his way until he reached the couple dancing in the middle of the mass of bodies. Will stared at the stranger’s broad back and he ceased moving altogether, as if sensing Will’s presence. The man turned on his heels promptly to face Will, leaving Alana behind, flushed and flustered by his sudden disregard to her and their dance.

“At last. You came.” His voice was deep and sensual, a rich accent to it, as if not used to pronouncing the common sounds that the language required him to.

Will felt his cheeks blush, caught by the stranger’s intense gaze “I didn’t know you were expecting me to.”

The stranger- _not a stranger, no, Will knew him_ \- tilted his head to the side, curiosity flickering on his handsome features “You called for me, Will. I could never deny you when you always ask me so sweetly.”

Will catalogued the man’s face, his sharp cheekbones, intense eyes, beautifully shaped lips. It wasn’t a face he’d seen before that night in his backyard. And it was too memorable of a face for Will to have just forgotten about. Yet. Something in the glint of his eyes, in the way he looked at Will felt-familiar.

“I know you” Will said, voice soft and tilting, as if trying to secure solidity to the fact.

The man didn’t deny it, his eyes encouraging.

“We’ve met before in the river. You’ve helped me in thunderstorms, keeping my boat afloat on the tide.”

The man’s subtle smile reached his eyes in acquiescence “I’ve always watched over you, Will. You have always been my favorite.”

“But I am not in danger this time.”

“This time, my dear, I fear you were in danger of losing yourself. Loneliness is a crippling thing, induces despair and poisons the soul. I wish you to never be alone again. In the best of my capacities.”

Will searched his eyes for any sign of insincerity but found none. But Will knew the final score of the creature before him “I have you here now. But the full moon ends too soon. I’ll be alone tomorrow once more.”

The man took Will’s face between his hands and stared deep into his eyes with determination “The moon might govern the laws of the water, but the water does not govern the laws of mankind. The moon might reclaim my body, but it cannot usurp my gift to you. I will give you something to remember me by.”

They walked side by side back to the riverbanks, back to the water. They faced each other under the moonlight and the night seemed to come to life around them, cicadas and nightbirds, the glistening reflections on the water. The man was brimming with magic, and one touch to Will’s cheek and he was magic too. Will felt his body respond to the man like it was made to the touched just so. They kissed and Will’s lips were fire, were light and color and desperation. Their bodies mingled together on the banks of water and all nature stood still to listen, to appreciate the vision they made together. Will’s body opened like a flower, blossoming under the man’s light touches, and the spring air tried to soothe him, tried to calm him down but Will could only focus on the man under him, on the fervent thrust of his hips. The moon looked over them, as Will moved his body desperately on top of the man and decided to help them along, swaying Will gently like a tide, coming forwards and backwards to the shore. They were heading for the finish line together and all nature seemed enthralled by it, the night buzzing with excitement, the air heavy with expectation. When Will came, a helpless cry deep from his chest, the Victoria regia around them spun round and round on top of the water, cheering them on for their communion together. Will dropped forwards to the man’s chest, sated and happy and for the first time in years he didn’t feel alone.

Will woke up alone by the side of the river, the sounds of the fauna dimmed but persistent, as if worried about him. He sat up slowly, the memories from last night a bit fuzzy on his mind. The man. The creature. The dance. The sex. The promise. Will put a hand on his stomach feeling the lingering traces of magic there and _he knew_.

5.

“Daddy, it’s hooked, it’s hooked, I got it!!”

Will turned to the sound of Abigail’s voice, a shrill excited thing as she held onto the fishing stick and tried not to fall over the boat.

He smiled at her and ruffled her hair, her excitement contagious “Don’t let go now. You have to show it who’s in control. Let it trash all it wants, but don’t let go.”

Her face hardened in determination as she tried to follow her father’s instructions.

“That’s it. That’s it, sweetie. Slow and steady.”

Abigail reeled the line back in inch by inch, eyes never leaving the water until, at last, a fat Pirarucu was flopping around inside their boat. The shrill scream Abigail gave him could only be heard by dogs, her happiness like a physical thing, surrounding them both. 

Will hugged her tightly and looked out to the water over the top of her head. The shimmer of the water changed hue in that moment, beautiful colors that Will had long ago associated with magic. With the presence of his creature. Will sighed, feeling as content as he ever remembered being in that moment. The water gave their boat a gentle little swirl and Will felt the gentle creature's love around them, like a caress.

Every full moon Will would hang his best clothes on the clothesline on his backyard, hat and shoes by the porch. Just in case.

Every once in a while, Will would wake up to the phantom feeling of soft fingers running through his hair, the clothes from the clothesline right there in his room, spread over his armchair, the hat resting demurely on top of the heap.

His window would lay spread open, wind chiming in and ruffling his belongings. Each time this happened, Will would stand up, take the shirt from his armchair, press it to his face inhaling deeply and with that scent enveloping him like a hug, Will would go back to sleep, a happy little smile on his face.


End file.
